Ahmad Zia Massoud warns of civil war after dismissal

Ahmad Zia Massoud has warned of political instability in the country in his reaction to the presidential decree regarding his dismissal as senior presidential adviser for reforms and good governance.

Speaking during a press conference in Kabul, Mr. Massoud also warned that the unilateral decisions by the President will take the country towards a civil war, urging the President to withdraw his decree regarding his dismissal.

Massoud further added that no details were given regarding his dismissal and no consultations were made, even with the Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.

According to Massoud, a nationwide consultation has started after the President fired him as his senior adviser for reforms and good governance.

However, he said he has requested all to be patient, emphasizing that the Afghan people have no more the tolerance of another political instability in the country.

He also added that the President has no right to dismiss based on the agreements he had with the President regarding the formation of the government of national unity.

The Office of the President, ARG Palace, on Monday night confirmed the dismissal of Ahmad Zia Massoud, the senior presidential adviser for good governance and reforms.

A spokesman for the Presidential Palace said the decision was taken since no major steps were taken to ensure good governance and reforms.

Massoud was first vice president from 2004 to 2009 in the first elected government of Hamid Karzai. He ran with then foreign minister Dr. Zalmai Rassoul in the 2014 presidential election, but endorsed Ghani in the second round of the vote.

One factor of the Afghan conflict is the Afghan government's failure to maintain a balance in its foreign policy. The imbalanced foreign policies of governments have paved the ground for Afghanistan to turn into a battlefield of proxy wars.